View Full Version : A question about thickness....
Foxylocks
August 14th, 2013, 01:21 PM
Many acquaintances of mine will exclaim how thin my hair is. :( Although they don't realize it, this is offending to me!
The last time I checked, my ponytail circumference is 2 and 3/4 inches. Be honest: Is that ACTUALLY thin hair? Comments on how "thin" my hair is kind of grate on my confidence. What do you think?
marlb91
August 14th, 2013, 01:34 PM
id say its the thinner side of average, so not really thin no. own it! we have around the same thickness and my hair is BSL and doesnt look thicker shorter btw!
Leeloo
August 14th, 2013, 02:16 PM
You got to tell them that it’s upsetting to you. They might not even mean it in a way it comes off as.
lapushka
August 14th, 2013, 02:31 PM
Maybe they are confusing thin with fine. Maybe that's it?
AmyBeth
August 14th, 2013, 02:35 PM
"Thank you for sharing.":rolleyes:
jeanniet
August 14th, 2013, 02:44 PM
I agree that maybe they mean fine, rather than thin. Fine hair often has less volume anyway, especially if there isn't a lot of wave to it. In any case, there's nothing wrong with having thin (less dense hair). Having thick hair isn't something to aspire to; you either have it or you don't, and believe me, plenty of people with thick hair envy yours. I've always secretly wanted thin hair. Rock what you have!
chen bao jun
August 14th, 2013, 05:31 PM
I think its in the normal range and definitely enough hair.
Cheer up, I'm something like 4.75-5.25 plus curly and poofy on top of that, and I've recently had a friend tell me that this was not thick. She said my bun is not big (actually she said it was 'teeny') so my hair can't be thick! (my bun is not big, true, but that's because my hair is short--its BSL stretched, and because its so thick, I have to wrap my bun very tightly which does indeed make it look 'teeny'). So its in the eye of the beholder, I guess. I wouldn't go by what 'friends' say, they can have agendas. Every hair dresser I ever met complained about my super thick hair, and I think they would know better. IN your case, has a hairdresser said your hair is thin? I don't think so.
p.s. my friend who said my hair isn't thick has about 1/3 of the thickness I have , probably because she bleaches blonde and has a curly perm (even though she is always say how she does nothing to her hair and it's 'natural'--she calls the perm 'real curls') and we have gone shopping before for her to buy extensions to make her hair look thicker--her wish, I hadn't noticed anything one way or the other before she started making this big issue of it all. I just wonder, what do the people who tell you YOUR hair is thin have hair like? It's not always about YOUR issues, when people make these uncalled for remarks. In fact, it's usually not.
melusine963
August 14th, 2013, 07:10 PM
Bear in mind that a lot of 'long' hair is artificially thickened with extensions. Although you're definitely in the medium range, it could just be thinner than people are used to seeing because you're not cheating.
My ponytail has the exact same circumference as yours, and it definitely seems thinner the longer it gets (not just because of taper).
chen bao jun
August 14th, 2013, 09:35 PM
Bear in mind that a lot of 'long' hair is artificially thickened with extensions. Although you're definitely in the medium range, it could just be thinner than people are used to seeing because you're not cheating.
My ponytail has the exact same circumference as yours, and it definitely seems thinner the longer it gets (not just because of taper).
Very true. The standard is very artificial Google before and after photos of the Duchess of Cambridge, a person who BEFORE the enhancements had very pretty hair.
jacqueline101
August 14th, 2013, 09:41 PM
I'd say they think fine hair has to be thin.
Mesmerise
August 15th, 2013, 05:21 AM
Well it's pretty close to average I'd say, maybe a bit under... but anyway, that's about what my hair is (when it's not shedding and then it's worse). I have seen much thinner hair!
I think straighter, finer hair can give the appearance of thinner hair, while curly hair often appears "thicker" because of its body.
Anyway I find that nasty comments about appearance usually stem from the other person's insecurities and are best ignored! What's your friend's hair like? Could she be jealous because she thinks you have prettier hair and was saying this to make you paranoid?
I had a funny comment in high school (when I had a perm). My best friend (so-called) said to me, "Your hair is straighter than X's when it's not permed". Now X has 1a completely dead straight hair. My hair isn't particularly straight at all, and while it seemed straighter then that it does now, it ALWAYS had a bit of natural wave and body. It was just a stupid comment, and what brought it on, I don't know?! But it was meant to be an insult (as if having straight hair is somehow a bad thing... although X actually has really pretty hair!).
Flick6
August 15th, 2013, 05:45 AM
I have quite thin hair (I am too chicken to measure my pony incase the results are woeful)! I have two daughters, one has my hair texture, but more of it, and the other has glorious thick shiny slippery hair... to be honest, do her hair is a P.I.T.A. Everything just slips out because there is so much of it! There are advantages to very physical attribute. I dont know why anyone would feel the need to comment on the thickness of your hair in that way though :/ maybe you need thin hair to know how sensitive one can be about it?
MissAlida
August 15th, 2013, 05:55 AM
This is like when someone points out to you that you have a pimple. Awkward and I already know it, thankyouverymuch. People are so ignorant sometimes. Btw, my hair is abut as thick as yours, and there's nothing wrong with it.
AmyBeth
August 15th, 2013, 11:14 AM
I think what really irks me is how did we all get hoodwinked into thinking that thick hair is the only acceptable standard? And who gets to decide how thick is thick enough? Since finding LHC, I've thrown away these imposed standards and have never been happier with my hair. Yes, my hair has change dramatically since using a lot of techniques I've learned here, but I've also come to accept that my hair is fine and thin, thinner than "they" say it "should be" and I don't care anymore. I like it. If anyone doesn't, they can go get People Magazine and look at all the unrealistic, retouched pictures of the beautiful people that they want to.
jeanniet
August 15th, 2013, 11:30 AM
I think what really irks me is how did we all get hoodwinked into thinking that thick hair is the only acceptable standard? And who gets to decide how thick is thick enough? Since finding LHC, I've thrown away these imposed standards and have never been happier with my hair. Yes, my hair has change dramatically since using a lot of techniques I've learned here, but I've also come to accept that my hair is fine and thin, thinner than "they" say it "should be" and I don't care anymore. I like it. If anyone doesn't, they can go get People Magazine and look at all the unrealistic, retouched pictures of the beautiful people that they want to.
Totally agree. Every type of hair has its own unique beauty. I love seeing heads of thick, wild, curly hair, for example, but I equally love seeing hair that's fine, thin, and straight as a board, along with everything in between. If everyone's hair was the same, what a boring world it would be. One reason I don't care for the flatironed look.
AmyBeth
August 15th, 2013, 11:54 AM
You're so right, jeanniet. I wanted to say I like everyone else's hair more too, but I did not want to sound like I'm imposing standards on anyone else. You stated it just right. I like everyone's hair, but especially if it's treated well and not processed into a miserable damaged dry tangly mess.
There I go, imposing my standards:p
Beborani
August 15th, 2013, 01:42 PM
Hairstylists keep telling my fine-haired daughter her hair is thin when her density seems just fine to me, i find it annoying and keep telling her to disregard them as she gets plenty of admirers otherwise for her delicate, fine hair.
HollyG
August 15th, 2013, 01:46 PM
Mine is 2 inches and it's normal, i get a lot of people saying how thick my hair is - it could easily depend on something like colour or layers (i do have them and think i always will)
Everyone has their own interpretation of what thick/thin hair is though
lapushka
August 15th, 2013, 03:40 PM
People told me my hair was delicate and fine all my life... it's just... there's a lot of it. Thick and fine, two totally different concepts that need to be taken into account!
Mesmerise
August 15th, 2013, 07:13 PM
As for advantages disadvantages...there are many to having thinner hair! For example, I can have waist length hair and it takes me literally 10 seconds to detangle after washing. As in, I don't really get tangles ;) sometimes I'll have one or two and that's it.
My daughter's hair is thick but fine (she must have a loooot of hair follicles!!) and when her hair was waist length it would take me a good 45 minutes to detangle. So there you go... 45mins vs 10seconds! Even when her hair is shoulder length it tangles a lot (particularly underneath) and has frustrated her to tears on occasion.
Yes, her hair is super pretty. Sometimes I am envious of it! But there are definite advantages to NOT having it!
BlazingHeart
August 16th, 2013, 01:05 AM
Foxylocks, 2.75" is very average. If your hair is fine, it may appear to be thin because fine hair tends not to be very voluminous (that is, it lays sleekly against the head instead of poofing out). The next time someone says something about your hair being 'thin', just remind yourself that sleek hair makes for neat, sleek hairdos, it's easier to add volume (with a volume mousse for example) than take it away, AND having thinner hair means you'll be able to do prettier, fancier styles sooner.
Chen Bao Jun, if you can do a stable cinnamon bun at BSL, your hair is probably under 5" in circumference, unless you are long-waisted (that is, the distance from your shoulder to your waist is long). My circumference is about 5.2", and I didn't have a stable cinnamon bun until hip (about 33" long). It's hard to measure the circumference of curly hair because you really do have to get it packed down to know what your circumference is.
lapushka
August 16th, 2013, 04:02 AM
I've had the "thin", delicate, fine comment all my life. Until hair dressers started handling my hair, then they were, one after another, shocked that there was so much of it. I've never had a hairdresser not amazed at the thickness of it *afterwards*. It reveals the texture quite well, doesn't it? So those comments don't always necessarily say something about whether there's a lot of hair there or not.
chen bao jun
August 16th, 2013, 08:14 AM
Foxylocks, 2.75"
Chen Bao Jun, if you can do a stable cinnamon bun at BSL, your hair is probably under 5" in circumference, unless you are long-waisted (that is, the distance from your shoulder to your waist is long). My circumference is about 5.2", and I didn't have a stable cinnamon bun until hip (about 33" long). It's hard to measure the circumference of curly hair because you really do have to get it packed down to know what your circumference is.
Yeah, you're I get different measurements each time I measure my circumference so have kind of stopped trying. I basically was saying I didn't know what my circumference is, which is the truth. I get anywhere from 4.75 to 5.25, curly, packing it as tightly as I can (without bangs). I've never got less than 4.75 though. And when my hair isn't straightened, my ponytail still cannot be held in any kind of hairclip or clawclip (they break) and most of my life (20 years) I have been going to hairdressers, black, white and Korean (my best one was Korean) who were all intensely shocked by the amount of hair I have, when chemically straight. "Two head of hair" and even 'three heads of hair' have been common remarks from people who do hair all day every day. So I'm not someone imagining my hair is thick because its curly or because its coarse (which it also is). Others notice this especially when it is in braids. I do French braids a lot to go to sleep in, braiding tightly. I do four. Everyone who has ever seen them say that even one of my braids (French braided so that it loses thickness) is a big around as one normal person's braid, not French braid, but braid. And that two of them look like a person's with thick hair. and I have FOUR.
So it truly is thick, although I don't have an exact circumference to give you.
I am longwaisted, unusually so for a short person. I know this because I sew, and always have to add quite a few inches to the waist of a pattern. But my hair is nothing like 33 inches long. I may be able to keep it up in a bun partly because its so curly and curly hair stays up much better than other hair. It kind of clings to itself. Also, I am very practised in manipulating hair and very dexterous. I don't know if it is a cinnabun I am doing and unfortunately haven't figured out how to use hosting sites. Its not much of a bun, I can tell you that, not impressive at all. I just started being able to do it recently--before I did those faux buns where you pin hair down around. And I do have extreme taper. My hair is not thick to the ends. Its thick down to the about 1 1/2 inches from the ends and then they suddenly thin out extremely, very abruptly (because of damage). I don't know if this helps it to stay up too. I cannot explain and I guess it really doesn't matter.
But I well may not be as thick as you, especially if you have fine strands and are not curly and still are measuring 5.2. I don't think I have the thickest hair in the world, and since being on LHC have been interested to see people, more than one or two who are actually, visibly thicker. Sometimes quite a bit thicker, which I honestly didn't know what possible. It's pleasant to see, I don't feel so wierd anymore. But I am on the extreme end of being thick so far as hair is concerned and am really glad to be on LHC and get hints on how to deal with it.
jeanniet
August 16th, 2013, 10:13 AM
I don't think what length you can do particular buns at is really an indication of specific thickness anyway. I've never been able to do a decent cinnabun at any length up to about BCL, and while my hair is pretty thick, it's not that thick! Texture, slip, products, etc. all play a part as well. I also don't think that pony circumference is 100% consistent for many people, curly or not. It's a very inexact measurement, IMO. Unless you have a mechanical means of exerting the exact same amount of pressure around the hair every single time, the measurements are never going to be true. Which is why I don't bother measuring. I know roughly what mine is, but exact? Naw, because I know it's not a real number.
chen bao jun
August 16th, 2013, 02:48 PM
Thanks, Jeanniet. I think you are correct.
I hope the OP feels better about her ponytail circumference now. I think LHC exists to give us all support and encouragement from each other and ways to cope with whatever our particular hair type is and grow long and pretty in a stress free way. While measurements have a little bit of a place here, hopefully they will not become something that makes us feel stressed in our growth journeys, since we came here to feel support and not stress. There's always going to be people that feel called upon to make remarks such as 'your hair is too thin' or 'you're just fooling yourself, it's not actually thick' but at the end of the day, its not about what someone else thinks, its about your hair as you're experiencing it. It should be making you happy, not worried.
samanthaj08
August 16th, 2013, 03:28 PM
My hair is 3.5" at top of braid, about .5" at the end.
Is that normal? :/
jeanniet
August 16th, 2013, 04:41 PM
Thanks, Jeanniet. I think you are correct.
I hope the OP feels better about her ponytail circumference now. I think LHC exists to give us all support and encouragement from each other and ways to cope with whatever our particular hair type is and grow long and pretty in a stress free way. While measurements have a little bit of a place here, hopefully they will not become something that makes us feel stressed in our growth journeys, since we came here to feel support and not stress. There's always going to be people that feel called upon to make remarks such as 'your hair is too thin' or 'you're just fooling yourself, it's not actually thick' but at the end of the day, its not about what someone else thinks, its about your hair as you're experiencing it. It should be making you happy, not worried.
Or, for that matter, "You have too much hair! You should have it thinned!" :rolleyes: You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time. So don't try! :guns:
juliaxena
August 17th, 2013, 12:04 AM
Also, I don't know about others but people outside LHC generally like to use hair destroying practices so their hair either falls out or breaks. I don't see a lot of really thick hair outside LHC and I would not compare only to LHC members but general population.
FireFromWithin
August 17th, 2013, 01:41 AM
I agree with others that thickness and fineness often get mixed up. Each of my individual hairs is very fine but I've always had a lot of them (although I've recent lost half an inch to an inch in thickness which makes me sad). And to be honest, there isn't a lot you can do about it either. Of course I have a friend with very thick hair (the strands are thick and she has a lot) who struggles to get her hair to do much of anything and won't grow her hair past BSL simply because its too heavy for her (it was a beautiful classic when we were at primary school). Whereas my hair doesn't feel all that heavy to me and I can get *most* hair stick basic buns at mid back or just after BSL. Waist is however much better and the buns look a lot bigger as I don't have to pull the hair nearly as tight, I think waist will be the shortest comfortable length for me (when I get there again I may change my mind).
oktobergoud
August 17th, 2013, 03:31 AM
I don't think that's thin, but it really depends on the way your hair is? For example, my hair is fine, wavy and the pony is 3 inches, so just a little bit thicker than yours. However, because of the fine, wavy hair, it looks really big. People tell me how thick my hair is all the time, stylists keep telling me that I have soooooo much hair, it's sooooo thick! While it's just really average. It's just a lot of fluff that can't be tamed! Maybe your hair is more straight and less fluffy, haha, so it might look thinner to people?
Don't let other people's opinion let you down though! If they think it's thin, that's just fine. As long as you love you hair, that's all that matters! :)
ejking2
August 17th, 2013, 05:57 AM
My hair is 3.5" at top of braid, about .5" at the end.
Is that normal? :/
I don't know what's normal, but judging by your avatar, I'm at roughly the same length as you. My ponytail circumference is almost 4" and the end of my braid is 2.5". I bet your ends will thicken up with time and good care. ;) Your hair looks very pretty anyway!
samanthaj08
August 17th, 2013, 06:40 AM
I don't know what's normal, but judging by your avatar, I'm at roughly the same length as you. My ponytail circumference is almost 4" and the end of my braid is 2.5". I bet your ends will thicken up with time and good care. ;) Your hair looks very pretty anyway!
Ahh :D Thank you thank you thank you. You made my entire day
chen bao jun
August 17th, 2013, 01:30 PM
Or, for that matter, "You have too much hair! You should have it thinned!" :rolleyes: You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time. So don't try! :guns:
I really don't think that people know what thick hair is and what thin hair is IRL.
As pointed out on this thread before, I do think many many people automatically assume that people with curls have thick hair jsut because we automatically have volume from curls, which means nothing at all. And that people also do think coarse hair is thick hair, which again is not necessarily so. And people do assume fine hair is thin. And there are so many ways of disguising thin hair. Most of them are also bad for your hair, but they do create a certain visual appearance. Teasing really does make your hair look thicker and so does backcombing. Certain hair cuts (usually involving layers) do creat more bulk visually. and you have to remember that this subject is not so interesting to most people as it is to us on here.
People usually give your hair a glance, or not even that, unless there is some really compelling quality about it (it's bright red, or down to to your feet, or you're shaved bald). they really have no idea. And thick hair isn't necessarily visibly thick, either. I think mine always been commented on not because it truly is thick, but because before LHC it was always frizzy and out of control. People assume a poofball must be thick. But they don't really KNOW, unless they touch it. I think that's why hairdressers, who are by the nature of their job much more knowledgeable have always surprised at the density of my hair once they TOUCHED it. They know from experience that I could look just as poofy and actually have low density hair, because undoubtedly they've run into that before.
the only way that I think you can ever tell just by sight when someone's hair is thick is when its in a braid. Although you can braid loosely, you can only do to a certain degree. People with low density hair don't have big fat plaits (even if they are curly or frizzy). But people don't wear braids that much nowadays, outside of the people on this forum.
I also agree with the person who said that there is a great deal more thick hair on this forum than there is in real life. I don't know if this is because people with thick hair tend to want to grow it long to keep it in control (my hair simply cannot be dealt with short and at medium length, its a triangle, looks horrific), or because when your hair is less damaged from good hair practices, its automatically thicker.
I do know that since being on this forum, I have all kinds of baby hairs sprouting. I would have found this a horrible, scary thought last year, because I felt then that my hair was uncontrollable because it was too thick, but now I know that it was uncontrollable because it was in a terrible, damaged state, not because of the density one way or the other. And I also know that flexi 8 s come in XXL and Jumbo, that spin pins exist and that your hair can't be too thick for a hair stick to hold it up. So now I'm not scared or upset, I'm like, bring it on!
Foxylocks
August 17th, 2013, 02:16 PM
My hair is 1c-2a. I don't know how people can magically make the assumption that my hair is thin, considering I wear it up 100% of the time. They just say it is thin. Maybe my bun is miniscule.
I don't think that's thin, but it really depends on the way your hair is? For example, my hair is fine, wavy and the pony is 3 inches, so just a little bit thicker than yours. However, because of the fine, wavy hair, it looks really big. People tell me how thick my hair is all the time, stylists keep telling me that I have soooooo much hair, it's sooooo thick! While it's just really average. It's just a lot of fluff that can't be tamed! Maybe your hair is more straight and less fluffy, haha, so it might look thinner to people?
Don't let other people's opinion let you down though! If they think it's thin, that's just fine. As long as you love you hair, that's all that matters! :)
Foxylocks
August 17th, 2013, 02:18 PM
I hope that once my natural hair (i'm trying to grow out dye) is long enough to fit in a ponytail, the circumference will improve.
Foxylocks
August 17th, 2013, 02:23 PM
I know. Very awkward. Sometimes people just mention it, even though the topic of discussion is far off from hair.
This is like when someone points out to you that you have a pimple. Awkward and I already know it, thankyouverymuch. People are so ignorant sometimes. Btw, my hair is abut as thick as yours, and there's nothing wrong with it.
cmbates2009
August 18th, 2013, 05:33 PM
Many acquaintances of mine will exclaim how thin my hair is. :( Although they don't realize it, this is offending to me!
The last time I checked, my ponytail circumference is 2 and 3/4 inches. Be honest: Is that ACTUALLY thin hair? Comments on how "thin" my hair is kind of grate on my confidence. What do you think?
Mine is way thinner than yours Foxylocks, mines about 1.5 i think so yours is on the averages side of thin so not thin but not thick if you know what i mean your in the medium area. I wish i were at 2 and 3/4 some times 5.5 :( so I feel the pain
Ashenputtel
August 18th, 2013, 06:06 PM
A lot of people confuse a lot of things. My hair is thick but not in a crazy way, but it's very dense. I have to wash my tangle teezer everyday because of the dust always stucked in my hair. Straight to slightly wavy fine strands tend to be very compact.
Back to your question, I think you have medium thickness. But even then thinner hair means also easier updos. It means easier washing and detangling. There is no perfect hair type, just different challenges.
chen bao jun
August 18th, 2013, 07:57 PM
I hope that once my natural hair (i'm trying to grow out dye) is long enough to fit in a ponytail, the circumference will improve.
I can pretty much assure that when you grow out the dye your circumference will be greater.
I have known several other people, but I will only mention my grandmother, she had beautiful wavy soft hair, maybe 2a or 2b and definitely had thin hair, very fine strands and lower density (which looked very nice on her) when she dyed it, which she did for about 20 years. Once she let the silver grow out, she gained about 33% more thickness I would estimate. I can't promise that you'll gain that much, but I have not known anyone who stopped dyeing that did not turn out to have thicker hair than they had thought.
MaryMarx
August 20th, 2013, 01:23 AM
There is no perfect hair type, just different challenges.
I really like that. :)
juliaxena
August 20th, 2013, 01:57 AM
Well, actually, my thickness didn't improve when I stopped dyeing. Probably because at the base of my pony tail my hair didn't show damage yet. It stopped breaking off though. Yet the hemline doesn't look thicker either because dyed ends were a bit velcro, dry, taking up more volume than healthy hair would. My thickness turns out to be much the same as before overall, if very moisturized, my hair may even look thinner than before.
I can pretty much assure that when you grow out the dye your circumference will be greater.
I have known several other people, but I will only mention my grandmother, she had beautiful wavy soft hair, maybe 2a or 2b and definitely had thin hair, very fine strands and lower density (which looked very nice on her) when she dyed it, which she did for about 20 years. Once she let the silver grow out, she gained about 33% more thickness I would estimate. I can't promise that you'll gain that much, but I have not known anyone who stopped dyeing that did not turn out to have thicker hair than they had thought.
woolyleprechaun
August 20th, 2013, 01:59 AM
It is virtually impossible for others to accurately gage hair thickness. They can only comment on the appearance, and even then they can come up with strange opinions.
I was on a day trip the other day, and I saw a lovely Indian girl of around 12 with two English plaits, each the thickness of my wrist. Her hair was so shiny, smooth and straight that had her hair not been braided, I wouldn't have guessed just how thick it was (and that's coming from a LHCer ;))
I honestly wouldn't get upset over your circumference; that's a perfectly normal measurement. Besides, not everyone wants or likes that head eating extensions look, which seems to be the popular ideal of 'thick' hair these days. Thin or fine hair can look beautifully ethereal, and has it's own particular charms.
Stray_mind
August 20th, 2013, 05:22 AM
I don't think you should pay attention to what people say. Different people have different oppinions. And in my oppinion it doesn't really matter if hair is thick or thin, mostly it is decided by genes. What matters is if they are healthy. No matter how thick hair is, if they're not healthy, they will look terrible.
chen bao jun
August 22nd, 2013, 11:44 AM
I was on a day trip the other day, and I saw a lovely Indian girl of around 12 with two English plaits, each the thickness of my wrist. Her hair was so shiny, smooth and straight that had her hair not been braided, I wouldn't have guessed just how thick it was (and that's coming from a LHCer ;))
My grandmother had hair like this. I have photos of her wearing two plaits coming laying on her breast and each of the plaits was as big as my wrists, definitely. I have slightly less than six inch wrist circumference. Some people just have extraordinarily thick hair, jsut like some people are just extremely tall. It is genetics.
For the records, I've had very thick hair all my life (albeit, less than half as thick as Granny's) and my sister has thin hair, and while people always say to me, 'Wow, your hair is so thick' most of the time she is the one that they say, "Your hair looks really nice' to. She also has been able to go to the hairdresser without trauma.
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